The Pentagon plans to deploy around 3,000 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to President Trump’s order to enhance military involvement in controlling migration. Troops from the 4th Infantry Division will join 1,100 previously announced support troops, raising the total to nearly 9,000. This marks a shift from recent practices, as Trump pushes for a more substantial military presence. The troops will assist with barriers and support law enforcement, despite concerns about military involvement in domestic law enforcement roles. There is speculation that up to 10,000 troops may eventually be mobilized for the operation.
The Pentagon is deploying approximately 3,000 additional troops to the southwestern border, swiftly acting on President Trump’s directive to enhance the military’s involvement in curbing the influx of migrants into the United States.
Infantry and support troops from the 4th Infantry Division based at Fort Carson in Colorado — one of the Army’s most experienced combat units — are anticipated to be deployed within days, as confirmed by two Pentagon officials on Saturday, following Mr. Trump’s proclamation on his first day in office that U.S. military forces would address what he termed an “invasion” involving migrants, drug cartels, and smugglers.
In conjunction with 1,100 support troops from the military’s Northern Command announced on Friday, and the newly arrived headquarters personnel from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., the reinforcements disclosed on Saturday would elevate the total number of active-duty troops at the border to approximately 9,000, according to Defense Department officials. The Washington Post previously reported on the additional troop mobilization.
“These forces will arrive in the upcoming weeks, and their deployment highlights the department’s steadfast commitment to collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and uphold the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States under President Trump’s leadership,” stated the Pentagon in a press release on Saturday.
This marks the second significant deployment of active-duty troops assigned to secure the border since Mr. Trump assumed office on January 20. Approximately 1,600 Marines and Army personnel arrived shortly after the inauguration, joining the 2,500 Army reservists who had already been activated.
The large-scale deployment of frontline combat troops signifies Mr. Trump’s departure from the recent practice of previous presidents, who typically limited border deployments to small numbers of active-duty soldiers and reservists.
Thus far, the active-duty personnel have been assisting in the construction of barriers and providing support to law enforcement agencies, similar to the active-duty and reservist forces that were sent to the border in previous years, including during Mr. Trump’s first term.
However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on his initial full official day in January, “whatever is needed at the border will be provided.” He did not dismiss the possibility of Mr. Trump invoking the Insurrection Act, a law that is over 200 years old, which would permit the use of armed forces for law enforcement duties.
Taking such a step would place the military in a politically sensitive situation that has raised significant concerns among congressional Democrats.
“Our military is not trained as law enforcement personnel,” Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan and former Pentagon official, remarked recently on ABC’s “This Week.” “But you’re approaching that threshold of logistics and support versus law enforcement.”
The troop deployments occur despite the relatively calm state of the border, where crossings have dramatically declined in recent months following measures enacted by the Biden administration to limit migration.
The 4th Infantry Division is recognized as one of the Pentagon’s most combat-ready units, aligning with Mr. Trump’s directive to “prioritize the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders.”
In January, the Army notified brigades from both the 4th Infantry and the 82nd Airborne to prepare for deployment to the border. Each brigade comprises over 3,000 soldiers, although Army officials have indicated that it remains uncertain how many troops will actually be designated for duty.
The headquarters personnel of the 10th Mountain Division, including their two-star commanding general, recently arrived at Fort Huachuca in Arizona to supervise the border operation.
Defense Department officials have indicated that it is possible for up to 10,000 troops to be deployed in the near future. Marine Corps planners have mentioned that they could potentially be asked to provide 2,500 or more additional Marines.
In addition to infantry, support troops specializing in supply, logistics, security, and communications have already been dispatched to the border, as stated by the military’s Northern Command in January.
The initial two waves of active-duty troops were chosen partly due to their readiness for rapid deployment. For example, the first 500 Marines were on standby at Camp Pendleton in California to assist with firefighting efforts in Los Angeles.